Galena

Site Name

Primary: Galena

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Commodity

Primary: Lead
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Iron
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Fluorine-Fluorite

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Location

State: Alaska
District: Nome

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Land Status

Not available

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Not available

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Possible dolomitization, silicification, and oxidation.

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Rocks

Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Campanian
Age Old: Barremian

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Fluorite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Hemimorphite
Ore: Limonite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Dolomite
Gangue: Quartz

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Comments

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Iron oxide and some quartz-sulfide veins and replacements in marble and schist.

Comment (Geology): Age = Post mid-Cretaceous, the age of metamorphism of the host schist and marble.

Comment (Geology): Age = Host rock is Pre Campanian - Post Barremian.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Probably inactive

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves = Shallit (1942; Mullgan and Hess, 1965, table 3) estimated that the iron oxide deposits at the Galena prospect include 100 long tons containing 30 to 45 percent iron and 10,000 long tons containing 10 to 20 percent iron.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Galena prospect was discovered before 1915 (Eakin, 1915 [B 622-I, p. 366-373]). It was visited by Mertie in 1916 (1918 [B 662-I, p. 445), who reported a total of nine claims and some propecting work, primarily for iron. Joint-controlled (N 15 W, vertical) galena-quartz mineralization in crystalline limestone was present on the Sunrise claim; disseminated sphalerite with pyrite and lilac-colored fluorite was present on the Oso claim; and disseminated galena with quartz was identified on the Fox and Williams claims. Botryoidal limonite (goethite) was reported from the Kentucky claim. The prospect was also visited by Mulligan and Hess (1965) and Herreid (1966, p. 8-10). Herreid found as much as 5.8 percent zinc adjacent to a silicified zone in marble that was traced for more than 200 feet on a trend of N 10 W; he also found 1.0 percent lead and 0.85 ounce of silver per ton in samples from an old trench. Petrographic descriptions of 15 samples from the Galena prospect were reported by Mulligan and Hess (1965).? the prospect is located within a soil geochemical anomaly more than one-half mile long. The anomaly is subparallel to the contact of the massive marble unit and underlying schist (Herreid, 1970, figure 1). In some cases, for example, Herreid's sample 98, the location is sufficiently removed from the marble to suggest mineralization is present in the underlying schist. Herreid (1970) reported several soil samples containing more than 1,000 ppm zinc and a maximum value of 405 ppm lead; as much as 7 ppm molybdenum was present in the samples.? Like the Cub Bear prospect nearby (NM133), the Galena propect appears to have characteristics transitional between the Sinuk-area iron deposits (such as the Monarch prospect, NM017) and the fluorite-barite-zinc-lead deposit at the Quarry prospect (NM135). The Galena prospect is on strike with, and in a similar structural and stratigraphic setting to, the Quarry prospect (NM135) about 2 miles to the southeast.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Herreid, 1966

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The prospect was located and explored by shallow shafts, short adits and trenches before 1915 (Eakin, 1915 [B 622-I, p. 366-373]; Mertie, 1918 [B 662-I, p. 425-449]; Cathcart, 1922). Herreid conducted geologic mapping and soil sampling of the area (1966, 1970). An early report (Mertie, 1918 [B 662-I, p. 425-449]) indicated that considerable gold was present in a galena-quartz vein, but samples collected by Herreid (1966) contained a maximum of 0.02 ounce of gold per ton.

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = the prospect could be explored along the basal contact of the massive marble that overlies schist. Before erosion, there may have been nearly continuous mineralized horizons between the Quarry prospect (NM135) and this deposit.

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References

Reference (Deposit): Herreid, G.H., 1966, Preliminary geology and geochemistry of the Sinuk River area, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geologic Report 24, 21 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:40,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cathcart, S.H., 1922, Metalliferous lodes in southern Seward Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 722, p. 163-261.

Reference (Deposit): Mulligan, J.J., and Hess, H.D., 1965, Examination of the Sinuk iron deposits, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 8-65, 34 p.

Reference (Deposit): Eakin, H.M., 1915, Placer mining in Seward Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 622-I, p. 366-373.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Nome quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-463, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Herreid, G.H., 1970, Geology and geochemistry of the Sinuk area, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geologic Report 36, 61 p., 3 sheets, scale 1:42,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1978, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Nome quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File report 78-93, 213 p.

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